Wire fabric reeling mandrel with rotatably retractable winding hooks



ET AL 2,941,743

HOOKS 1958 June 1960 D. P. COCHRANE WIRE FABRIC REELING MANDREL WITH ROTATABLY RETRACTABLE WINDING Filed July 31 IIVI/E/VTORS DONALD P. COCHRAA/Eand ALBERT L. STOEC/(EL fizz/653V Attorney luv" WIRE FABRIC REELING WITH ROx TATABLY RETRACTABLE. WINDING. HQQKS-r Donald P; Cochrane, Brecksville', andAlbert L. Stoeckel, Euclid, Ohio, assignors'to United States SteelCorporainvention relates to a mandrel for reelingor coiling'wire fabric and, more particularly, to improvements that provide for rotation offabric anchoring and. winding hookson the mandrel to facilitate removal of a coil of fabric. after winding on the mandrel. In a manner to be described, the hooks are mounted on the mandrel for rotation between an inoperative winding position .in which they are recessed in the body of the mandrel and an :operative winding position in which they project above the'surface ofxthe mandrel for anchoring engagement with wire fabric to be woundthereon.

Continuous fabricatinglines for the production of wire fabric commonly include an electrical welding machine to w-hich wire is fed continuously. from pay-E reels through sets of straightener rolls; After the welding operation the wire fabric is delivered through a shear that is. operatedto cut it into uniform lengths, usually about 150 feet long, and then over a looping pitlto a reeling apparatus where it is. coiled ona mandrel; Each length of fabric, .as it is delivered from theshear, must have its leading end anchored to the winding reelprio'r to wind ing and, after coiling thereon into a bundlefor handling and shipping purposes, must be stripped therefrom. These anchoring and stripping operations at the coiling reel are troublesome. in conventional apparatus and 'require considerable time for their performance. As a consequence they reduce the productive capacitYQf'ftht entire line.

In one common and conventional-form of reeling apparatus, the winding mandrel 'is constructed in two parts that are axially aligned and are supported in, bearing housings at their opposite ends. The bearinghousings are mounted for retracting movementto .withdrawthe mandrel parts supported thereby from ,acoil .of fabric that has been wound thereon and thus effect a stripping operationv of the coiled fabric with. respect, to the winding mandrel. For attaching a length of fabric to bewound, each of the mandrel winding parts has a T-slot extending axially inwardly from its outer end in which a key-bar is removably received. The key-bars have anchoring hooks at spaced intervals along their lengths which engage and anchor the stay wires of the fabric being wound. When the mandrel parts are pulled apart to perform a stripping operation the key-bars slide out of the mandrel T-slots and are thus separated from the winding mandrels. They are thereafterremoved manually from the interior of the coil to which they are attached by their anchoring hooks. Such key-bars weigh about 40 pounds each and the services of two men are required at each reel for assembling thernon the winding mandrels prior to each winding operation thereof.

One of the principal objects of this invention is to provide an improved winding mandrel for wire fabric reeling apparatus that will eliminate the delay and troublesome operations experienced in conventional apparatus of the character mentioned above, To this end, the winding mandrel is provided with hooks, for anchoring atent ice and winding engagement with the fabric tobe wound thereon, that are rotatably mounted on the mandrel for movement between operative winding and retracted positions. In their operative positions, such hooks prdjfct radially outwardly from the mandrel for Winding Qengagement with the cross-wires of the fabric to be wound, and in their retracted positions they arelf fiiessed in the body of the mandrel to permit stripping remova 'Qfia coil, of fabric by endwise movement relative thereto. In a manner to be described, the winding ho oks are .rotated to their retracted positions bya gear rack drive which includes a fluid pressure motor that is mounted in the mandrel and operates to actuate the rack;

Other objectsand advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description,

In the drawings, there is shown a preferredembodiment of the invention. In this showing: 7

Figure 1 is a plan view of a wire fabric winding mandrel constructed in accordance withdthe p inciples, of this invention;

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken substantially along the line 11- 41 'of Figure 1;

Figures 3, 4 and 5 are sectional views taken respectively along the lines Hi -III, -IVIV, and Vwv of Figure 2; and

Figure 6 is a view similar to Figure 4, but showing the mandrel windinghook in a different anchoring position on its operating shaft.

The mandrel of this invention is adapted for use in conventional wire fabricreeling apparatus which is usually one of two common types. In one type, as. indicated above, the mandrel is formed in two parts that. are rotatably supported in separate bearing supports-respectively mounted for retracting movement relative to each other to provide for stripping a coil of fabric by withdrawing the mandrel parts in outward axial directions from a coil .of fabrie wound thereon. In the other type, the mandrel may have a stationary bearing support and, in such case, stripping removalof, a coil of fabric may be effected by moving astrippel' head, outwardly over the mandrel to move the coil in an ,endwise direction relative tothe mandrel on which it is wound. A typical mounting and drive for a mandrel in such apparatus is shown fragmentarily in Figure 2 of the drawings. In this showing; the mandrel lis illustratedas. having a journal 2 at one end thereof whichv is rotatably supported by bearings 3 in a housing 4. As indicated,,the housing 4 may be either stationary or mounted for retracting movement according to the type of apparatus used for winding the fabric. Rotation of the mandrel ftin the housing 4 is effected by a sprocket wheel 5 which is driven by the usual ch nd s rocket d ive commo y pl in such apparat us, The fabric is wound on the other end 6 of the mandrel which is formed to provide a cylindrical windingsurface 7. I

The winding end 6 of the mandrel is formed with an axially extending slot 8 which opens radially inwardly with respect to the cylindrical fabric winding surface 7. As best shown in Figures 3 and. 5-, the slot 8 has parallel sides 9 and a bottom-10 that is provided by a web 11 extending between the lower edges of the sides 9. At spaced intervals along the length of the slot '8, thesides 9 are machined to form the ends 12 of spaces 13 that provide for rotational movement of fabric anchoring hooks 14 in; a manner to be described. Conventional mandrels-having T-shapedslots in which the key-bars referred to above are received maybe used conveniently for the fabrication of the mandrel of this invention; since it is only neces saryto.-;machine the sides of the key-shaped slots to provide the ends 12 of the spaces 13 and thus convert conventional mandrels to the purposes of this invention.

The hooks 14 are part of an assembly, designated as a whole by the numeral 15, that is mounted in the slot 8 between its sides 9. The assembly 15 includes spacer blocks 16 that are arranged at spaced intervals along the length of the slot 8 and are secured against movement therein by bolts 17 that have threaded engagement in the web 11 as shown in Figure 5. Adjacent ends 18 of the spacer blocks 16 define opposite sides of the spaces 13 in which the hooks 14 are received. The length and number of the spacer blocks 16 is determined by the number and relative axial location of the hooks 14 needed for a fabric winding operation. Each of the blocks 16 has a centrally arranged opening in which an operating shaft 19 is received and rotatably supported. As best shown in Figures 4-6, the hooks 14 are secured to the shaft 19 for rotation therewith by set-screws 20 that engage in lock-openings 21 in the shaft 19. As illustrated, the shaft 19 has two sets of openings 21 that are angularly spaced relative to each other and provide for connection of the hooks 14 to the shaft 19 in the different positions shown respectively in Figures 4 and 6 for a purpose to be described.

A drive for rotating the shaft 19 and hooks 14 thereon comprises a pinion gear sector 22 secured to the shaft 19 by a key 23, and a rack 24 that is mounted for guided movement along a path parallel to the axis of the shaft 19. The gear sector 22 and rack 24 have meshing helical gear teeth that extend, as shown fragmentarily in Figure 1 at an angle of 45, or greater, relative to the path of movement of the rack 24, and in such manner that movement of the rack 24 operates to rotate the gear sector 22 and shaft 19. The gear sector 22 is arranged between a pair of spacer blocks 16a and 1612 at the inner end of the slot 8 which respectively have depending supporting lugs 25 projecting downwardly through openings in the man- A drel web 11 which furnish a slide support for and guide the movement of an actuating bar 26 to which the rack 24 is secured. Operation of the bar 26 is effected by a fluid pressure expansible chamber motor 27 which is connected with the actuating bar 26 by a link 28 that has pin and swivel connections 29 and 30 at its opposite ends respectively with the inner end of the actuating bar 26 and the outer end of a piston rod 31 projecting outwardly from and operated by the motor 27. The motor 27 is double acting and a reversing valve 32 controls the connections of its opposite ends with a fluid pressure supply conduit 33 and an exhaust conduit 34 through conduits 35 and 36 connected respectively with opposite ends of the motor 27. A rotary swivel coupling 37 provides for rotation of the portions of the conduits 35 and 36 that are connected with the motor 27 and the reversing valve 32. The reversing valve 32 and swivel coupling 37 are conventionally constructed units and control the operation of the motor 27 in actuating its piston rod 31 between the retracted position shown in Figure 2 and an extended position.

The mandrel web 11 is machined to provide openings 38 opposite the gear sector 22 and each of the hooks 14 for the movement of their parts between their operative and inoperative positions.

When the piston 31 is operated to its extended position, the actuating bar 26 and rack 24 move to the right as viewed in Figure 2; This movement of the rack 24 opcrates to turn the gear sector 22 and shaft 19 in a counterclockwise direction as viewed in Figure 4 to move the hooks 14 to the retracted position shown in dotted lines in. Figure 4. In their retracted positions, the hooks 14 are recessed in their responsive spaces 13 and are positioned below the cylindrical winding surface 7 of the mandrel. In this position, a coil of fabric that has been wound on the mandrel may be readily removed by endwise movement over the mandrel winding surface 7. When the motor 27 is thereafter operated to return the piston'rod 31 and actuating bar 26 to their operating positions shown in Figure 2, the hooks 14 are rotated in a clockwise direction to the position shown by solid lines in Figure 4 in which they project outwardly with respect to the mandrel winding surface 7 for anchoring engagement with the wire fabric to be wound thereon. In this position, each hook 14 has a surface 40 extending radially with respect to the mandrel winding surface 7 for winding engagement with the cross-wire of wire fabric to be wound thereon upon rotation of the mandrel in a clockwise direction as viewed in Figure 4. A lug 41 at the outer end of the surface 40 operates to prevent outward movement of the cross-wire engaged by the surface 40.

To adapt the mandrel for a wire winding operation upon counterclockwise rotation thereof, the set screws 20 are released and the hooks 14 are rotated on the shaft 19 to positions in which the set of screws 20 will engage the other set of lock openings 21, and to the position shown in Figure 6. In this position, forward movement of the piston 31 to the right as shown in Figure 2 operates to rotate the hooks 14 in a counterclockwise direction from their retracted positions shown in dotted lines to an operative winding position shown in solid lines in Figure 6. In the latter position, each book has a surface 42 extending radially outwardly with respect to the winding surface 7 for engagement with the cross-wire of fabric to be wound on the mandrel upon counterclockwise movement thereof, and a lug 43 projecting from the-outer end of the surface 42 in the direction of mandrel rotation for holding the cross-wire engaged by the surface 42 against movement in a radially outward direction relative to the winding surface 7.

From the foregoing, it will be apparent that the mounting and operating mechanism of this invention provides for simultaneous rotation of winding hooks 14 between an operative winding position in which they project radially outwardly with respect to the mandrel winding surface 7, and an inoperative position in which they are recessed entirely in the spaces 13 and below the winding surface 7. In the latter position of the hooks 14, a coil of fabric can be stripped from the mandrel by moving it in an axial direction with respect thereto, and without interference from the winding hooks 14. In this manner, the mandrel While a preferred embodiment has been shown and described as applied to the Winding of welded wire fabric, it will beunderstood that the winding mandrel of this invention is adapted for winding other forms of wire fabric, and that other adaptions and modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the following claims.

We claim: 7

1. In a reel for winding wire fabric, a winding mandrel having a cylindrical winding surface and a plurality of openings extending inwardly from said surface and arranged at spaced intervals along its length, an operating shaft arranged parallel to the axis of said mandrel and extending through said openings, means supporting said shaft for rotation on said mandrel, a plurality of winding hooks mounted on said shaft for rotation thereby from inoperative positions recessed in said openings to operative winding positions in which they respectively project radially outwardly from said mandrel surface for winding engagement with fabric to be wound on said mandrel, a gear sector keyed on said shaft, a gear rack supported on said mandrel for movement in an axial direction, and means for imparting axial movement to said gear rack to rotate said gear sector and thereby said shaft and the hooks thereon comprising a double acting fluid pressure expansible chamber motor connected with said gear rack, means mounting said motor on said mandrel for rotation therewith, and fluid pressure 'means for actuating said motor comprising a reversing valve, and conduit means including a slip coupling connecting said valve with oppo site ends of said motor.

2. In a reel for winding wire fabric, a mandrel having a cylindrical winding surface, means on said mandrel providing an axially extending slot opening inwardly from said surface, a pluralit of spacer blocks arranged in said slot at intervals along its length and defining spaces therebetween, a shaft extending axially of said slot and journalled in each of said blocks, Winding hooks respectively arranged in said spaces and mounted on said shaft for rotation thereby between inoperative positions recessed in said slot to operative winding positions in which they project radially outwardly from said surface for winding engagement with fabric .to be wound on said mandrel, and means for rotating said shaft to move said hooks simultaneously between said operative and inoperative posifor imparting axial movement to said actuating bar to thereby rotate said shaft and move said hooks between said operative and inoperative positions.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,076,920 Sprecher Oct. 2 8, 1913 1,291,669 Clark Jan. 14, 1919 1,859,051 Richter May 17, 1932 1,956,429 Tootha-ker Apr. 24, 1934 

